Unwanted Respite
by Kokolo
Summary: -Set during "See Me Feel Me Gnomey"- We all know what happened to the girls and the townspeople during the episode, but what of the villains? Warnings: Lots of Cursing, Three Long Chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Just a quick few words - if no one has read the warnings and just clicked in randomly, this story contains cursing and long chapters. There will be two more after this and they will be up either by the time I get bumped off the front page or in three or four days of each other. It is set during the episode "See Me Feel Me Gnomey" and will focus on the villains in said episode. It's been a while since I've dabbled in the fandom and I'm probably rusty. That being said, critique is encouraged and greatly appreciated.  
Thank you and please enjoy :D**

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_"Hear me Elders from the Earth, hear me Elders from the Sea! Help me rid this city of its villainous treachery! Reunite above me, reunite above me fathers! Reunite above and send to me a chant to set them free!"_

_"Chia Li Luf Te Da Ta Sum Tra Mech Eto!"_

* * *

Ace vomited in the gutter.

Generally he'd wake up in a bitter mood, but this was pushing it. Even hangovers weren't this bad. Hell even coming down off spray paint high and a massive bender didn't feel half this shitty. It felt like something had ripped his insides out through his eyes and mouth and throat and shoved them back in up his ass. Ace was damn near wiling to bet he'd never felt so bad in his life ever, even after a beating from the Powerpukes. Whatever made him hurt this much, he'd never do it again – that was for damn sure.

He heaved, finally out of food and bile to expel, just coughing weakly into the curb. He sniffed, pawing around blindly. It was bright outside. His shades were gone. He couldn't think and barely knew where he was. Last thing he remembered was messing up Townsville. His gang seemed to be on the same wavelength with the other villains. Everyone was busting up everything and having a damn good time about it. He thought he remembered singing – but he was sure that was just his brain fucking with his memory. He also recalled actually beating the Powerpuffs – actually winning for once! Then there was more singing and rain or some shit and then…

Wow this… this was weird.

Ace groaned, covering his eyes, piecing the jumbled mass of the previous events together while he stumbled among rumble. He found a dark spot and collapsed into the dirt, coughing and lurching again. He whined pitifully and curled into a ball, hoping if he made himself smaller there'd be less pain to go around. He remembered more. There was a flower. A red one, and it floated. Had this weird little guy in it. Popped up out of nowhere. Started chanting and saying weird shit. Then this white light came out of nowhere and hit everyone. They screamed. Oh shit they screamed and writhed and were wrenched around in mid-fuckin air. He remembered being scared shitless and running for his damn life.

Coward.

Ace sneered at himself and tried to stand, gripping the bits of building and hauling himself up. He heaved and spat on the ground, the entirety of him trembling. He couldn't outrun it. He remembered that light hitting him and being in awful pain. He couldn't even make a noise it hurt so badly. Ace tried to breathe and once more opened his eyes, hissing at the light. Why was everything so goddamn bright? The city was a mess- why were people happy? Why were they singing about sunshine and flowers?

Where was everyone?

Ace rubbed his face, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and trying to quell the panic that threatened to make him puke again. He had abandoned them. He had run. Now everyone was gone and he was by himself and lost and shit this sucked so bad he almost heaved again. The thought passed that maybe he was dead and this was hell but he'd never done anything _that_ bad, had he? He never killed nobody or even hurt nobody all that bad. He stole and stuff but that was only to get by and maybe he made a little mischief but he was a kid – when else could he get away with it? And besides - hell was supposed to be all fire and brimstone. This couldn't be hell. Heaven, even if he thought that it _might_ be possible to get in there, wouldn't hurt this much.

"Gotta be alive." Ace murmured, testing his voice. He sounded the same, but his throat hurt enough to get him to clam up a while longer. He tried opening his eyes again, squinting in the bright lights. It was daylight, but even then it was eerily bright. He raised his hands, pressing the heels of his palm into his eyes, rubbing them slowly. Distantly he recognized he didn't have to lift up his shades, and figured that's why it was so bight outside. He'd find them later. There were more… compelling things to investigate. Like where everyone had gone and why it was so damn sunny and bright

And why his hands were pale.

Ace stared at his hands. They weren't pale green pale. He'd been sick and had them go a thin green before. But that wasn't this. They weren't blue like when he got those ice powers, neither. They were pale. Normal. Human peachy pale. Ace shook them, bent his fingers, made sure they were his. His wristbands were still there, he could still do that thing with his thumb and forefinger. He rest of his arms were pale and normally toned, too. He cold only assume the rest of him was – though there was no way to check without stumbling around looking for some non-smashed reflective surface.

This was exceedingly weird.

He had to find someone. Ace couldn't be by himself, not for too long. There were too many questions, too much quiet and alone for him to handle. There had to be someone around here, anyone to talk to – just to let him know he wasn't alone wherever he was. Hell, he wasn't even sure where in the city he was. He needed to find someone, anyone – hopefully someone alive.

Something made a shifting noise behind him. Ace, despite being disoriented and alone and half-horrified and looking for company of any kind, he knew better than to be out in the open. Ace scrambled for cover, hiding lamely behind a pile of rubble and peeking around the side. There was more movement, a soft shuffling. Canvas sneakers came into his field of vision, followed by skinny legs and striped shorts and a tank top on a nervous, overly cautious person. Even in the haze of whatever curse or drug he was coming off of, that grin, that stance, that _guy_ was unmistakable.

"Snake?"

"Boss?"

"Holy _shit_."

Snake dashed over to him, stopping just short of launching himself onto his esteemed leader and clinging to him like a desperate child. The lanky Gangreen wasn't so much a Gangreen anymore. He was peach colored too, though a lot paler than Ace was. The curve in his spine was gone - he stood straight. Same stance and stupid hat and greasy hair hanging in his face. Still skinny as a rail and nervous as all hell but that sure as hell didn't stop him from smiling that giant smile of his and fidgeting like mad. Ace found it in him to smile.

"Boss, boss I'm so glad you're alright." Snake said, nearly trembling as he spoke "I woke up and I couldn't find anyone and then I… found these." He stuck his skinny hand into his pocket and pulled out Ace's shades, folded up carefully and looking no worse for wear. Ace gladly snatched them up out of his hand and slipped them on. "I'm glad you're alright"

"Glad you ain't dead neither. " Ace muttered, feeling marginally better "You see anyone else?"

"No. Just you." Ace eyed him for a moment, which made Snake shift uncomfortably "It's… I…My lisp is gone. I can't hiss like I used to."

"Sucks for you I guess." Ace murmured "Gotta think of a different nickname now."

"Snake will do just fine." He muttered quickly "You're alright, right Ace?"

"Yeah. Just peachy. What, do I look messed up?"

"No worse than a normal. You look the same, really. Just no fangs and no green. You look… human."

Ace nodded thoughtfully and watched his follower. Funny how having one doting lackie made him feel so much better. Snake shifted his feet and waited for orders, looking around occasionally. He seemed a lot better off too, Ace noticed. Maybe, just maybe, things were turning around. Maybe this wasn't hell after all.

Then came the crashing.

The first thunderous noise startled Snake so bad he launched toward Ace, grabbing his arm. He let go a moment later, scared off by his leaders sudden glare. The two gangsters looked around, trying to find the source of the noise.

Snake found it first, pointing upwards, shrinking down and shaking like he'd spotted the Powerpuffs.

Above them, hanging between the buildings, was a great stalk of a rose. It was lined with thorns, all at least twice their size. Between some of the thorns there were large leaves, at least the size of a city bus, its edges serrated like saw blades. A great red rose sat perched at the end of it, its petals shivering in the updraft. It creaked slowly, hanging high above them. Neither boy knew quite how to react, so they stood as still as they could manage.

Finally the plant moved, it's thorn digging into the side of a skyscraper, carving out a large enough gash to send shrapnel hurtling toward the ground – though most of it didn't crash. Rather, in the wake of the rose's thorn, great sprawls of ivy that seemed to leak from the thorn itself caught up the damage. Holding it like a net, it pulled it back toward the building, making quick patchwork of the ruined steel and glass and metal. Some of it still fell, but it was minimal enough to be ignored.

It was quite a sight to see, had either one not been terrified of the large thorns that went through tempered steel so easily falling on top of them. Ace swallowed thickly, staring up at the giant thorns. As if shit hadn't already hit the fan – now they were a short gravity aided drop form certain death. Snake suddenly grabbed his leader around the waist and launched them both into a nearby pile of garbage, compressing them into it, hopefully making themselves seem small and uninteresting.

Despite all this – the fury he should be feeling at his subordinate for shoving him around him like that and the fear of that giant motherfucking plant - Ace could only focus on how Snake was actually _taller_ than him without the curved spine and terrible posture.

The plant creaked above them, swaying in the wind. It paused, hovering, rustling in the air. Nearby noise grew louder, and the plant trembled, dropping slowly toward the earth. Snake pressed closer, willing them into smaller space. Ace tried to hold his breath, tried to keep from noticing that Snake was shaking so bad.

There was more creaking, the wind shuffling through its leaves and thorns, making a low whistle of warning. The wind also carried a different noise, almost a low hum, dragged along half-gone. Ace could make out bits and pieces, sounds of letters, maybe a word. It got louder, overtaking the steady creak and groan of the branch above them. Chanting, growing louder and louder, ever steady like a heartbeat. The creak was mere background. Steady marching, and swishing cloth overtaking it. The chant was clear now.

Snake pulled back as much as he dared, risking the branch's thorns to peek over the rubble. Ace glanced up at him, shifting as much as he could without making noise. Snake glanced down at him, letting him up a little more. Ace could see them. A line. A congregation of what looked like every man, woman, and child in Townsville, dressed in red cloak and pointy red hat. They chanted, "Live my life for the rose," clutching said flower in their hand, their heads bowed in reverence as they stepped along one at a time. It was more than a little unnerving, and the two changed gangsters exchanged glances. What would happen if they were found?

Snake pressed is hand to Ace's shoulder, signaling him to look up and to the right. An alley. They could make a run for it, maybe. The group was getting closer, moving step by step. The stalk of the flower shifted, moving away from the two Gangreen's hiding spot, coming to rest on the street. The asphalt gave way it its wake, splintering under a thorn as if it was no more than paper. Ace gulped in spite of himself, Snake's hand on his shoulder steadying him somewhat. The boss Gangreen looked over his shoulder to the black, welcoming mouth of the alley. They had to make a run for it, before the group got to them. Neither boy knew what they were capable of, or even if they would react – but they'd seen movies. In the movies everyone who was part of a cult, no matter how benevolent seeming, was capable of vicious, messy, painful murder.

Ace went first.

He hadn't so much volunteered as been pushed through a week spot in the refuse, but he ran like hell all the same. He kept running, just in case anyone was on his tail. Snake would be all right. He was faster than him, anyway – and if he wasn't so damn sure why the hell did he push him to go first, anyway?

Ace recognized the bricks, the graffiti, or a least he convinced himself he did. A few turns and he was far enough from the chanting it became muted and choppy. He slowed, bit by bit, until he convinced himself he was far enough away there was enough danger to catch his breath. He gripped the scratchy wall and looked around – everything was doubly dark and he could normally navigate like this, but after being in bright for so long he couldn't see right. He tried walking a little more, and then paused.

Then Snake banged into him and he tripped. Over Lil' Arturo.

"Leader! Estas okay!" The Hispanic chattered happily, crawling out from under his boss.

Ace lifted his head and shook it, focusing his vision. Arturo looked like Arturo, though with the addition of more human skin tone, though he looked to be a bit darker. His under bite had been reduced to near non-existence and his nose went from looking like an outlet to being a bit on the upturned side. He still had the hair-over-the eye thing going on and he was still damn short, and he still chattered away at a million miles a minute. In Spanish no less.

"Lil' Arturo!" Ace snapped, shutting him up quick "Shut the fuck up and breathe. I'm alive so shuddap."

Boss Gangreen sat up, dusting off his shirt. Snake slid of his back belatedly, fidgeting and muttering an apology. Arturo continued to cahtter, pausing every so often to get breath. Ace only half paid attention, looking around for his other two lackies. Just two more and everything would be fine. They'd just have to come up with a different name for their gang.

"Leader." Arturo said quickly, bouncing on the balls of his feet "We found others."

"We?" Ace asked, getting to his feet finally "Who's 'we'?"

"Si. Me and Big Billy. We found some others. Oh you not gonna like dis, Ace."

Ace followed him anyway. He wasn't curious so much as looking for ways to shut the short Hispanic up for a few minutes. Snake fell into step behind him, peeking over his shoulder. Arturo stopped his talking just long enough to knock squeeze through a fence and tell the other two to climb over. So they did.

Arturo had been right – Ace didn't like what he saw.

Sitting in a vacant lot were the remaining villains in Townsville – or so they reported. Big Billy, Sedusa, Princess, and Mojo Jojo were all there, but altered. Big Billy was still massive and dumb as a box of bricks, but he was no longer green and now sported two eyes instead of his large blue Cyclops eye. Sedusa was restively the same; though instead of her hair twisting and squirming like snakes it lay flat on her head, shiny and black and altogether uninteresting. Princess, for her part, was basically the same, though she ranted and raved, stamping her feet and complaining about her suit being a piece of junk. The most severely changed, however, was Mojo. The super genius chimp had been reduced to normal chimp, skittering about all over the place. Currently Big Billy had a firm hold on him, and Mojo chattered happily, attempting to clamber over his large back.

"Where's Grubber?" Ace asked, largely unimpressed with their ramblings and stories about how they found each other.

"We eh… We though 'e was wit you." Arturo mumbled, shrinking back towards Big Billy to avoid being hit.

"We ain't seen him." Ace snapped.

"Well he's not the only one missing." Sedusa pointed out, playing with a dead lock "Him and Fuzzy are gone too."

"And the Ameoba boys." Snake mentioned

"Who _cares_ about them?" Princess cried, "Why isn't my suit working! If one of you messed it up you are SO going to be sued!"

"So they're just… gone." Ace snarled, ignoring the little girl "Is that what you're telling me? 'Cause that sounds like a bunch of bullsh-"

"Ace, dear, watch you mouth." Sedusa cooed, stopping him mid sentence "There are children present."

"Ask me if I care." He growled, daring her.

Snake broke the stare down, slithering between them. He swallowed, hoping he wouldn't be hit or smacked for interrupting. He wrung his hands and hung his head a bit, reminding them about the flower and the gnome and the possible cult genocide that could maybe take place if they were to stick around for much longer. This, aside from frightening the not so villainous villains who had no idea about the newly founded cult, made the situation seem bleak and terrible. The lot of them fell silent – even Mojo, who had been nearly shrieking the entire time, perched quietly on Big Billy's shoulder.

"So… where can we go?" Princess asked, looking around at the adults she, under any other circumstances, could have brought and sold twenty seven times over. Each.

Again there was silence. They shifted and looked around, hoping someone would come up with a plan. No one wanted to speak. They all hoped someone, anyone, would be able to think up something to keep them safe, even if it was just for the night. Somewhere safer than this vacant lot.

"Home?" Snake said finally, out of the blue.

The group turned its attention to Snake suddenly. The quick shift made him twitch, but he stood in place, shifting his weight. Maybe talking had been a bad idea. Everyone was looking at him like he'd grown an extra head. Ace too. His brow was raised above a shade but that was it. Snake cringed again and wrung his hands. This was a bad idea. Why did he have to open his big mouth-?

"C'mon." Ace said finally, turning on his heel "It's this way."

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**Thanks for reading! Again, criticism and reviews are greatly appreciated. Also, if you spot any disruptions in coding feel free to call me on that as well.**


	2. Chapter 2

_"This is t__he best day of my life today! This is the best day of my life! Thank you for the praise you've give today, Thank you for the praise you give!"_

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It was almost nightfall by the time they all made it back. At first the non-Gangreens had protested. They didn't want to go to a dump. They were better than that. Even Mojo was showing distaste at the idea. But they had no choice. Ace was already scaling fire escapes and making his way home. It was either get to shelter or tough it out on their own. They _could_ have done just fine on their own but they just chose not to. That was all. So they followed.

The walk had been long and rather uneventful. There was a strange mix of complaints and complete silence. The Gangreens mostly followed Ace's example of total quiet, though occasionally Big Billy would laugh at Mojo's monkey antics and Lil' Arturo would try and start up conversations with Sedusa and (eventually Princess when the villainess kicked him in the shin and told him to can it). Snake took it upon himself to keep a sharp lookout, and luckily for the group he did a damn good job. Twice he managed to spot an oncoming group of worshippers.

"Why the heck are we hiding?" Princess hissed, "They're just a bunch of petal pushers. What are they gonna do, give us allergies?"

"I dunno. Why don't you rush forward and find out if you're so damned eager." Ace sneered "Go on. We'll wait here."

Princess didn't say anything after that.

When the reached the outskirts of the city Ace figured they were enough in the clear to walk without crouching or crawling on the floor. He cracked the lock and got the lot of them inside, resuming his silence. Princess was whining constantly, first about being caught in the crossfire, then about her suit malfunctioning, then about the smell, then about horrible living conditions. Sedusa kept quiet but sneered and made disgusted noises, exaggerating her movements to step over the garbage. Arturo did his best to clear a path for her, though Princess mistakenly took it for her own use. Ace led the way, largely ignoring the racket behind him. Snake was close behind and darting about, looking for more danger and keeping an eye on his leader. Billy amused himself by bringing up the rear, Mojo happily skittering across his large shoulders.

"Here it is." Ace kicked the door to the Gangreen Gang hideout open and turned to face his new gang "Home sweet home."

"What a dump." Princess declared, walking right in as if she owned the place (which in all honesty, she probably did).

"Tch." Sedusa surveyed the spot and looked around, finally deciding that a chair was her best bet to staying relatively clean. "You actually _live_ here?"

"Si." Arturo chirped, taking claim on his footrest. "Mi casa es su casa."

"You have no idea how much I'd rather it not be." Sedusa whined, pulling out a compact and fixing her face.

"Monkey want to come inside and play!" Big Billy drawled, letting Mojo down. Said monkey proceeded to go berserk and dash around every which way, touching everything and knocking over most of it until Billy picked him up again.

Snake looked at the lot of them, waiting for a moment before letting his shoulders sag. He'd been on high alert ever since that first run in with the flower, and it only got worse the more Gnome knockoffs he spotted. Those bastards were everywhere – it was a miracle they managed to get home without being rushed. He'd never thought there would be a day he'd ever want a Powerpuff beating over a different form of punishment. He'd never thought he'd look normal either, but here he was – pale and lanky and human-looking as could be. Snake sighed, looking at his pale hand while he plopped on the sofa, finally relaxing. The flowery Gnome and his disciples wouldn't dare come to such a wretched place. Or so he hoped.

The once-reptilian Gangreen let his eyes shut while the sounds of bickering and monkey chatter overtook him. He heard Lil' Arturo failing at seducing a rather peeved Sedusa. He heard Princess whine and fuss and mutter about her failed super-suit. He heard Billy laugh and giggle and the patter of little monkey feet – peppered with shrieks and indignant cries from the other people residing in their clubhouse.

He didn't hear Ace.

Snake opened his eyes again, blinking in the light. It wasn't uncommon not to hear Ace – he'd often sit back and just watch after a beating. He peeked over the edge of the couch he was hogging. He spotted everyone who he heard, all looking rather bored and kind of upset and out of place. The boy rubbed his eyes and looked again.

Nope. No Ace.

Finding this picture unacceptable, Snake slid off the couch awkwardly and made his way around to the group of villains. He thought about asking if one of them saw Ace, but he couldn't see how that would end in a short conversation. He didn't feel much like talking anyhow. Instead he turned away from them, wandering outside to look for his lost leader. If he didn't find him, then at least he could enjoy a smoke.

Luckily for Snake, Ace was right outside. Snake smiled and slid beside him, trying to peek at his leaders face. He might get whacked for it, but he was paranoid over Ace's condition. He was the leader – if he was gone or messed up Snake would be lost too. He barely knew how to function without the older boy to turn to. From what he could see Ace looked all right, and for that he could breath a sigh of relief. That small sigh alerted Ace to his presence, and he turned a bit, examining his now human-like partner.

"Well, this blows." Ace muttered conversationally, looking out over the dump "You're not bleedin or nothin right?"

"No. I saw the flower thing and its cronies – didn't get hit by 'em. I don't think anyone did."

"Good."

Far be it from Ace to admit he was glad the other boy was okay. But Snake knew Ace well enough and a certain swelling of pride came with his leaders masked concern. He also knew well enough to note a certain disappointment lurking somewhere in Ace's tone. A doubt. It was all in his stance – like he'd messed up somewhere. Lost something.

Grubber.

Snake hunched over a bit. The way he figured now Ace had come out to grieve over the lost member of his gang. Even if he got a few more added that didn't stop Gruber from being gone, didn't make it hurt any less. Hell, Snake missed him too. He could have passed for human. He just… looked a little funny. Too funny. Like Him and Fuzzy, the raspberry-blowing Gangreen was gone for good – or so it seemed now. Still, it was odd to see Ace so bothered, even if he wasn't really showing it. Snake felt bad, doubly so now because the reminder and seeing his leader soured, but he couldn't think of a single thing to say that would make either one feel any better. He kept silent and held his ground near the other male, hoping that would be enough.

"You look like a Sanford." Ace said suddenly, facing Snake.

"Don't say that." Snake groaned, covering his face "Don't say it."

"S'matter, _Sanford_?" Ace teased, smirking a little "Hate your preppy name? Don't blame you. Makes you sound like a bitch."

"Gee, thanks."

"I'd pick another iffin we're stuck like this." The older boy said. "Something better than fuckin' Sanford. You're better than that. Unless that ray thing fucked you over bad."

Snake paused, struck by the rare complement (backhanded as it was). He shook his head; trying to dislodge the idea he had lodged up in his brain somewhere. Snake figured it would make Ace feel a bit better about losing his coloring and what he figured was his place in the Townsville pecking order and hopefully make him focus on something other than Grubber being gone. Everything had been thrown upside down and turned to hell, but they'd been through worse. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

"To be honest with you…" Snake muttered, "I really don't think much has changed."

Ace glanced at his friend, shooting him a look behind his shades. Snake reflexively gulped and reached up to cover his non-existent nose, hoping he wouldn't be hit. When Ace merely stared at him, giving him an open invitation to continue, he shuffled forward and cleared his throat, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was sneaking up behind him.

"How do you figure?" Ace prompted.

"Wells… I mean lookit us." The skinner male gestured to the two of them. "You're still a great leader – you took the helm and got us all together and to safety. And I was still able to spot those extra gnome followers before anyone else and slip around like I used to. You're still my boss and I'm still your second in command… at least I hope Mojo isn't replacing me."

"Same sick sense of humor too." Ace quipped, reaching forward to pluck the loose cigarette poking out from beneath his hat "And you're still suckin on these things."

"Yes…" Snake cleared his throat again and looked out across the mounds of garbage. "So… we aren't all that different, regardless of color."

"You sound like an after school special or somethin'." Ace muttered.

"It's not just us either, boss." The other boy added quickly "Lookit the rest of 'em! Billy's still dumb as a pile of rocks. Arturo's still Spanish and quick and annoying as fuck."

Ace started laugh. Snake paused and tried to gather his thoughts while his boss twirled the cigarette in his fingers and turned away, intent on getting rid f it. Not wanting to be dismissed, Snake lurched forward and grabbed Ace's arm. He paused though, suddenly realizing he not onlywillingly breached the unwritten code of 'no one touches Ace,' but coming to terms with the fact it had been years since he'd gotten this close or even bothered to argue. That was almost enough to make him let go and fall back, stammer for forgiveness and take his beating. But he held on.

"Mojo… Mojo is still causing trouble and breakin whatever he can get his hands on – or tryin to make shit, look, he's got a gun or soemthin goin. An… and Princess is till bitching like she always has been – hell, she never even stopped. And Sedusa is still tryin to use her tits to get what she wants. If these guys weren't so wrapped up in this flower shit they'd be all over her."

Snake took a breath and felt that rush leave him. He was vaguely aware that the rest of what remained of the villainy of Townsville was watching. He belatedly let go of Ace's arm and tried to ignore the intense heat in his face.

"Kid's gotta point" Sedusa mused from the doorway, leaning against it provocatively as she could mange without splinters "I feel the same… even if my beautiful hair is broken."

"I'm still wealthy and better than all of you." Princess paused "I'm notta brat!"

"You are, dearie. Get over it."

"Si." Lil Arturo nodded curtly "I'm with de snake on dis one, Boss."

"You're agreeing with me?"

"Don't push it, _serpiente_."

"Duuh… yeah. Right boss. I feel da same too." Billy added, only now speaking though he was the first one to hear the argument.

Mojo, not one to be left out, knocked over a table and shrieked loudly, scampering about the small shack until Billy allowed him to climb on his back. Even then, though, he chattered irritably.

Ace, who had lit up the smoke and was taking liberal drags of it while his replacement gang ganged him up on, almost conceded to their point. He felt like the same suave, swaggering gangster he was before the blast from that freakish gnome. He still wanted to rob a mini mart and play video games and take over Townsville and destroy the Powerpuffs as much as the rest of them probably still did. Snake was right for the most part – superpowers and abilities aside that didn't change a damn thing about who they were or what they were or how they acted. They were still evil as always. But Grubber, Him, Fuzzy, and those Amoeba losers were still gone.

"We're still the same. Still the same bad guys we were before the flower thing…" Snake tried, putting a neat end to his argument, although belatedly. He just hoped he didn't get beaten for this. He knew he could take beatings in his other body, but this one was new to him – and why wouldn't his face stop feeling so hot?

"So what happens now?" Ace asked after a moment of silence "I gotta admit I'm pretty much lost 'ere. So we're the same. So what? The gnome didn't do shit, then? Just made us look more like normal?"

"I guess." Sedusa shrugged, now bored with the conversation, as she whipped out a nail file and started to work on her fingers.

"Then how come Grubber aint here? Or Him or Fuzzy?"

"They couldn't be fixed." Snake answered, apparently now the expert on the subject "They weren't able to fit in the world the Gnome created, so they were…"

"Destroyed." Ace finished, making the once serpent–like teen twitch.

"Maybe." Snake looked down at his feet and scratched at his hat. This was a touchy subject – probably was a bad idea to even think about brining it up in the first place. At least Billy and Sedusa had plodded off back inside and left him be. He didn't know if he could handle more questions, or if Ace would want to hear anymore of it.

"How do you know all this, huh?" Princess demanded, stomping her foot and pointing at the meeker male "What makes you so darn special?"

"I…well I…" Snake swallowed and glanced at Ace, who was stubbing out his last cig "I don't talk much… but I notice things."

"That's stupid." Princess declared, crossing her arms and parading right back inside. "You're stupid. I should just get Daddy to poison that stupid flower and then those Powerpuffs would have to accept me as their savior!"

"Savior?" Sedusa spat, barking a laugh "How do you figure?"

"Well, that flower took their powers and their livelihood. I could take it away and then I'd be the only Powerpuff left and they'd HAVE to let me join or I'll crush them!"

The girls started screaming at each other not long after that, somehow dissolving into their own plans to defeat the Powerpuff Girls the second they lay eyes on them. Arturo joined in, throwing his weight around at the only speaking male (though he was on rival height with Princess and somewhat distracted by Sedusa's outfit). Snake rubbed his ears and winced, shuffling away from the open door and away from the screeching, more towards Ace – who had wisely sat at the edge of the porch and was just staring off into space.

"You see?" Snake mumbled, pointing at the door with his thumb, diabolical plans (and now some monkey shrieking) filling the air.

"Yeah, I got your point." Ace stood again, leaning against the side of the shack. As an afterthought he reached out and pulled Snake's hat over his eyes, smirking a bit. "Now I remember why I kept you around. Damn smart kid."

Snake chuckled and pulled his hat up, smiling for a moment before it dissolved away into worry. Still, Ace noticed, Snake looked up at him with the reverence most of the normal citizenry gave the Powerpuff Girls. Though he was pretty sure their faces weren't masked with what looked like a permanent red stain.

"So… what does happen now?" Snake asked quietly.

"Oh? You don't know?" Ace teased "I thought you had this all figured out."

"I'm not that good, Ace. I can't tell the future."

"Yeah, well, neither can I, pal." Ace grumbled, looking off into the distance. The town lay just beyond a couple of garbage mounds – a great bunch red rose and the sound of chanting emanating from its core. Ace could see the rose petals floating around like welcomed rain and even got a whiff or two when the wind changed direction. Hell, he could almost feel the blind happiness that radiated from the city, even in the dead of the night. It sickened him.

"I guess we just gotta wait for the girls to save the day like always." Ace shrugged, turning to face his friend.

"And in the mean time?" Snake muttered, wondering aloud more than asking for guidance.

"Survive. Somethin's gotta go wrong eventually. Somethin' always does."  


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**Thanks for reading chapter two! Hope you enjoyed it. The final chapter should be up in a couple of days. Remember to chew me out if you spot something off kilter or just plain wrong.**


	3. Chapter 3

_"As I descend to the earth, and view the universe above me, I realize that life evolves, revolves, and dissolves completely around the opposites therefore I conclude that I cannot exist in my...utopian...mind…"_

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"Get up." A voice said, firm and impatient "Get up we need to eat."

This was usual for the remaining members of the Gangreen Gang. They yawned and stretched and got up in moments, knowing better than to challenge Ace. The newer members weren't so savvy, and they groaned and turned over, politely telling him to screw off and leave them be. At least until he opened the door and let the sunrise and cold air rush in.

They weren't happy with their new boss, but those were the breaks.

"And _why_ did you have to wake my from my beauty sleep?" Sedusa hissed, her hair not nearly as manicured as she had hoped – it looked as if her snakes had frozen in place.

"You JERK" Princess had ranted, over and over, "I'm gonna tell Daddy and this place is gonna be a parking lot!"

For what it was worth Ace heard these complaints. He just didn't care. Arturo had scampered over, offered Maria to Sedusa to tame her locks. She had rolled her eyes, but accepted and worked out the kinks, trying to ignore Arturo's mooning gaze. Billy had cradled Mojo to his chest, and there the monkey made little cooing noises, clinging to his shoulders in a rare moment of passivity. Princess and continued to rave, but no one had listened to her, so she kicked the ground and threw a silent temper tantrum.

There were rose petals blowing on the breeze.

"You never answered me." Sedusa reminded, dropping Maria in Arturo's general area. "Why are we up at half past dawn, exactly?"

"Food." Ace repeated, signaling the gang to move out.

"We can't go back into town." Sedusa implored, looking shocked as she steeped forward "It's still overrun by that… creepy little thing and his creepy little servants."

"I said 'food', not 'Lets knock ova a mini mart'."

"So where-" She paused. "Oh HELL no. I'm _not_ eating garbage. That's disgusting- That's how you become diseased! I already look a mess I am _not _resorting to-"

"Then starve. I dun care. Lets go guys."

Sedusa was stunned speechless for a moment, and Princess's jaw dropped (at Ace's comment of the through of eating garbage – it was unclear which). Snake, as per usual, was right behind Ace and stayed that way. Arturo cast a glance at the two of them, but his boss won out over helping the girls. He scampered out. Billy had been left behind. He waited, staring out into space on the porch. Mojo began to fidget in his arms, chattering and crawling up around his shoulders. The two females exchanged glances. Surely they were better than that. The boys could do the dirty work. They'd bring back food – wouldn't they? That small one would – or maybe the big dumb one or even that skinny one (he didn't look like he ate much).

"You eat what you find – that's it. Everyone for themselves."

There was that idea shot to hell.

"This is disgusting." Sedusa sneered, walking out with as much of an air of superiority as she could while she tried to pick the cleanest garbage mound.

"Es not all rotten." Arturo encouraged, holding up a pizza box. "Es jus' dirty. No problema."

"Yeah, just don't drink nothin." Ace reminded.

"Ugh. I can't believe you actually _eat_ this!" Princess whined, holding a plastic bag with unidentifiable slop inside.

"Not all o' us can live on Daddy's paycheck, Princess." Ace accepted the bagel Snake had inconspicuously kicked over, picking off the mold "An' don't eat dat. "

"Well DUH."

They all picked and poked, looking for something at least halfway edible. The girls, though obliging, were ultimately repulsed and paused to take a breath or hold their hand over their mouths. Ace just watched, like he always did, roaming from mound to mound. More often than not food fell at his feet, which he picked up and ate without even bothering to check who had provided him or even what it was. Normally he'd look for his own food, but his hands were full. The two girls and the flower dominated his attention. His gang could fend for themselves food wise, and he'd make sure that no one was coming to cleanse the area.

"What da hell you starin at?" Ace snapped, catching Billy, who was normally head first in piles of food, staring blankly at the City of Townsville. "Billy! You forget how ta talk again?"

"Hey, uhh… somethin's fallin from da flower…"

"Shaddup Billy. Quit starin at it"

"No… no I think he's right I see something falling. And the Powerpuff Girls!"

"Lets get 'em!"

"No you idiots stay here!"

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That!"

"Another light?"

"Ai dios mio-"

"Oh shit."

"Get down!"

In light of it all, no one was sure who said what or why any of them thought hitting the deck would do anything. Regardless, they fell to the ground, covering their heads and their mouths and trying not to be hit by another light from that damned flower.

Like that, however, with their faces in the dirt and trying to hide, the light expanded. It grew and grew and grew like the shockwaves from a bomb, reverberating to all corners of Townsville and beyond, touching everything the Gnome had altered. Though they tried to avoid it, the remaining villains were caught up in the blast, absorbed by the light.

So then why was it that weary eyes dared to open; they found themselves strewn across cement and asphalt and not face down in dirt and grime?

Ace lifted his head, groggy, sore, and confused. He vaguely remembering being this achy and confused not a day before but he pushed tat thought aside, lifting himself up slowly. His arms weren't cooperating too well. They wobbled under even his meager weight, shaking like they were no more than sickly green flower stalks.

He paused.

Green?

A quick rub of his eyes and, yes, he was in fact back to being a true blue Gangreen gangster, color and pointy teeth and all. He almost laughed, staring at his green hands. He shook that notion off, lifting his head to look around and see if he was the only one back to normal. He hoped whatever happened made everyone better too instead of killing them or if it did happen to kill them, dumped them off in the same portion of hell or purgatory or whatever.

He was met with the budging, wobbly eyes of none other than Grubber, who promptly belched and licked his Boss' face.

"Holy shit Grubber you're alive!"

Said mutant blew a raspberry and half smiled, turning away and padding over to Billy, who was once again a big green Cyclops. Big Billy, though he was happy to see Grubber, was more interested in the huddled mass of black hair and brain matter curled up and groaning at his feet. Grubber and Billy took turns poking it until it stirred enough to smack their hands away and stumble around, holding its bare brain and trying to orient itself.

Somewhere off to the left of the conscious Gangreens, Arturo picked himself up off the floor, stretched, muttered something in Spanish. He too was back to his normal green coloring, his under bite pronounced as ever. He quickly checked Maria was still stowed away in his pocket then kicked Snake, who was also back to normal, stretched out in a meandering 'S' curve over the sidewalk. The reptile stirred, hissed, and rubbed his eye, the fact he was back to normal only registering once he spotted Sedusa, her snake hair alive and writhing all over her head, laughing manically to celebrate it's return.

While the remaining Sedusa cooed over her hair, combing it out and telling her living locks how much Mommy loved them, Princess picked herself up and dusted herself off, looking angry as her five year old self could mange. She stamped her foot and was about to demand an explanation when her super suit took that cue to turn back on, allowing her to hover off the ground like the hero she desperately wanted to be. She nearly shrieked with joy, twisting around and making sure all her gadgets and gizmos worked correctly.

Slowly their collective wits came back to them all. They looked normal, normal for them, anyway. But how? Never mind- who cared how? They were normal again! Sedusa cackled, her hair twisting happily around on her head. Princess fired a rocket or two, laughing with joy at the destruction she caused. Snake slithered and stretched his spine, hissing a few times to get a hang of it again. Mojo seemed to get his wits about him, standing straight and looking around, acknowledging the other villains – particularly Big Billy, whom he did not want to be near. Grubber, for suddenly disappearing and hen just as suddenly reappearing they way he did, looked just fine and acted like he always did.

"You okay, Grubber?" Ace asked finally, looking down at his mutant follower

"Ppppffffbbbt."

"Yeah that's what I thought."

Princess gagged and made typical girly disgust noises, pointing at Mojo's newly regrown and exposed brain matter.

"Ew ew ew ew ew ew!" She cried, stamping her feet. "Ugh that's so gross put your helmet on ewwww it looks like your head exploded!"

"Oh be quiet you foolish girl. Cease and desist! I demand you stop now!" Mojo raved, his voice still weak while he shuffled around, trying to find something to cover himself. He finally settled on a paper bag and, much to Big Billy's displeasure, refused to be picked up or touched anymore.

While the largest Gangreen sulked, the smallest greeted Grubber and then darted toward a large pink bolder and proceeded to poke it. It stirred, grumbled, and attempted to smack away the Hispanic Gangreen. Fuzzy rolled over and rubbed his head, glaring at Arturo, who seemed far to excited about being back to normal to even attempt to give a damn.

"Whut in tarnation- Where's mah boom sick? What are you all doin on MY PROPERDY!?"

"Can it you country bimpkin!" Princess snapped, now hovering in her reactivated super suit.

"Sso there'ss Fuzzy. Grubber'ss with Billyss…" Snake tallied, looking around and hissing, "Where'ss Him andss the Amoeba boyss?"

"The three idiots are over there." Sedusa stated, cooing over her hair "Jaywalking."

"And the location of Him is still unknown?" Mojo asked, affixing the paper bag more securely and trying off a ripped up coat with a few rags.

"I'm right behind you."

The monkey shrieked and scampered away, clutching his chest and trying not to hyperventilate. Him looked on, amused and relaxed, casually leaning back against a pile of stone and rubble. He smiled at Mojo, who was shaking his fist angrily at him, trying to get the words together to insult and otherwise verbally punish Him. The demon cackled instead, crossing one leg over the other and spread his arms wide, like a king addressing his subjects.

"Yes, yes. I'm here. You can all stop looking for me now – though I _am_ flattered you'd be concerned over little old me"

"So you're all alive." Ace mumbled, half smiling and looking at Grubber. As badly as he was trying to hide it, it was pretty obvious the boss Gangreen was more than a little relieved to see his gang all back together.

"Well of course I'm _alive_" Him scoffed, bringing the focus right back to him, "Why wouldn't I be? I _am_ the ultimate evil, after all."

"Then where the hell have you been?" Sedusa questioned irritably, hands on her hips.

"I haven't the slightest clue." He paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully "I seem to be missing my echo, however. Have any of you seen it?"

"Once cannot see an echo, Him. That is to say one cannot visualize sound waves. It is impossible to lay eyes upon a reverberation in the air that causes ones eardrums to vibrate at varying pitch-"

"Oh Mojo, you silly chimp. It was a joke." Him pinched the chimp's cheek with the tip of his claw, which was immediately batted away wildly and screeched at. Mojo then paused, flushing at his frankly animalistic behavior, the residual effects of his temporary devolution not quite absolved.

"Y'alls crazy." Fuzzy drawled. "We aint done been nowhere no how."

"As badly worded as that was – Fuzzy is correct." Him declared, uncrossing his legs and standing up. "We left _here_, per say, but I haven't a clue where we went. That Gnome…" Him's voice deepened as it often did when he was agitated "_banished_ us from this world, like we weren't _good_ enough for him. We never really _left_ so much as were erased from consciousness."

"And you know this…" Mojo gestured, curious and probing as ever, his anger towards the demon momentarily forgotten in the face of new knowledge.

"Oh, I've _done_ it from time to time. It's quite a bit of fun to watch – but incredibly boring when you're stuck in the same predicament." Him then smiled and let his head fall back with a dramatic sigh "Oh, how I'm going to enjoy it all the more!"

"Sso why did it ssstop?" Snake questioned, slithering about, getting used to the feeling of being back in his old snakey skin.

"Not sure." Him shrugged and snapped his claws a few times, as if to regain the feeling in them "It can be stopped manually, but who would want to do that? In the case of…that _thing_, he ran out of power. Or overestimated it. Stupid fool –relying on 'elders' and 'exchanges.' Pfft."

"So when the gnome thing fell or died or whatever-" Arturo started.

"Everything went back to the way it was before him." Princess finished, nodding her head. "Or at least with less fire."

"The monsterss should be backss then too, rightss?"

"Yessss" Him mimicked, giggling to himself. "And so should the girls."

"What was up with them?" Ace snapped "Too much free time?"

"Oh, no." Him cooed, waving his claw "In order to _save_ the world like they _always_ do, they relinquished their superpowers. Heheeh... But! It didn't turn out _perfectly_ so the deal was broken – and their powers restored. Happy endings all _around_."

Him snapped his claws viciously, his smile turning into a scowl. The villains mirrored his resentment. They way the demon described it, it seemed as if all their troubles - from exile of consciousness and the city to momentary discoloration and power reduction- was once more all the fault of the Powerpuff Girls. How dare they! How dare they bring this blight onto them, leaving them powerless and excommunicated in order to reap the normal life they felt entitled to? It was enough to make their blood boil, their tempers flare, their ire rise-

Enough to make them yawn.

When all was said and done, they were all exhausted more than anything. It had been a long day or couple of days or whatever. However long it had been it had been _long_, and all of them just wanted it to be over and done with. They'd let the big monsters handle it for a couple of days. Let the low lifes come up from the sewers and rob some banks and hold up a couple of jewelry stores and make a name for themselves. Let a new villain in, maybe – or let nature run its course and give the girls hell. That's not to say they were quitting – far from it. The villains of Townsville were back, ready and willing to fight the Powerpuff girls tooth and nail for dominance over the city and the world – just not today. They ached and felt stiff and just wanted to crash for a few days. Get their energy back up and maybe devise a terrible plan or two. Right now though, home was looking too good to pass up.

"Well, it's been fun boys." Sedusa said, arching her back and turning away from the rest of the group "But I'm just not up for a night on the town."

"Same here." Him said, yawning theatrically.

"Yeah." The Amoeba boys chorused, hoping to be at least part of the action.

"I _so_ need a vacation –" And here Princess whipped out her cellphone "Daddy! Have a Caribbean cruise set up for earliest departure- No! Now! I have to get out of this town and relax NOW DADDY."

The sentiment rippled throughout the crowd of villains, nodded heads and mumbled agreements all around. They started to disperse – Sedusa the first among them to leave, disappearing down an alley with a chilling giggle and soft writhing sounds from the mass of hair on her head. The Amoeba boys – particularly Bossman- waved his hand and offered to keep the crime rate up in Townsville. No one really paid him much attention, but the supersized single cell organism grinned and gathered his partners in mediocre crime around, deciding to hit that fruit stand a few blocks north. The rest of them tried to calculate their route, Mojo heading off in front.

"I will now take my leave." He announced – just in case anyone would miss him.

"What road are you taking?" Him asked.

"One hundred twenty forth to one hundred, then left down Burr Avenue. Continue to intersection of Lincoln and Main. Go south from there, crossing north by northwest at Park Place and head east to Townsville Park and thusly my Observatory."

"That was more articulate than you normally are. How _exhausted_ you must be." Him chuckled and followed along side him. "Allow me to keep you company."

"If you must."

"I still think ya'lls nuts." Fuzzy grumbled, keeping otherwise to himself but still close behind the small group, mumbling about his boomstick and Joe.

"Hey! You guys better wait up for me!" Princess screeched, hovering not far behind them.

"The dumpsss that waysss too Bossss." Snake hissed, shuffling into place between Big Billy and Ace, to Grubber's left.

"Great. And here I was hoping to avoid the singing. Hey you guys! Wait up."

They made their way inward, toward the center of Townsville. Ace was a little skeptical, signaling his gang to hang back a bit. The others were as were just as paranoid. What if it was a trap? A front? A trick? They couldn't take another hit just yet, even in this big a group. Him spotted the girls and paused. When the evilest of evil and the cruelest of cruel was freaked out, you had reason to worry. The other monsters peeked around the demon, trying to catch a glimpse of the action. The girls were in the center of the civilians, who moments before had been bowing in reverence.

"Whatcha lookin at?" Princess asked, hovering over Him's shoulder

"Seems I was right…" Him murmured, trying to keep his echo from reaching the civilians and the superheroes "The girls are back to set things right."

"So they're blockin the road or what?" Ace asked, still a ways behind them.

"They and the rest of Townsville."

"What do you suppose we do to navigate around this mass grouping?" Mojo asked the demon, peering up at Him.

"Iffin I had mah boomstick-"

"No, no Fuzzy." Him chastised, "No one wants to hear your boomstick. No one needs to fight anyone anymore I just don't have the patients to deal with it."

"Again, I repeat, I restate. What do you suppose we do? What is the plan? What do you think?"

"Put on a show." Him sighed, "Pretend we're all on board with whatever lovely message of peace and joy they're preaching. Lie through your teeth about harmony and getting along and then we can go home and break promises _tomorrow_."

No one really liked this plan, not even Him, who thought it up. In fact they hated this plan – not so much the lying and luring Townsville into a false sense of security – but the part about being kind. After all the shit they've gone through the last thing they wanted to do was conform and relent to what the Powerpuffs wanted. Being nice was the last thing they wanted to do, dammit. But no one could come up with a better plan. The roads were blocked off and the only way to get past the worshipping masses was to go through, and to go through they had to pretend to be nice. So with a sigh and a few groans in agreement the group trudged forward toward the group, dead set on finally getting home

Even if they had to sing.

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**Thanks so much for reading - I really hope you enjoyed : )**


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